Cody Johnson Will Both Compete In & Headline Upcoming Hondo Rodeo Fest In Arizona

CoJo is going to pull double-duty when the Hondo Rodeo Fest rolls around later this year.

If you needed any further proof (his recent hunting trip didn’t convince you?) that Cody Johnson is a real-life cowboy, this should be that proof. He’s always been known as an artist that really personifies country music, and Johnson’s musical talent is undeniable.

But before he became “Cody Johnson: The Country Music Star,” the Texas native spent a lot of time in and around rodeos. He started team roping as a hobby, and from what Hondo Rodeo Fest CEO James Trawick is saying, we’ll soon see what kind of skills Johnson has in the area of “roping and riding.”

In case you’ve never heard of the event, the Hondo Rodeo Fest is a three-night event (that kicks off on November 7) in Phoenix, Arizona that shines a spotlight on the authentic rodeo experience, while also presenting plenty of entertaining musical acts. Nickelback, Jason Aldean, Riley Green, Treaty Oak Revival, Jon Pardi and Cody Johnson are all set to perform during the event.

And Cody Johnson is also set to compete in the rodeo event, as Hondo Rodeo Fest CEO James Trawick explained in a recent interview:

“He’s actually going to rope at the Hondo this year. Fans are going to get to see him ride and rope at the Hondo for the first time ever. Pressure is on Cody. It’s out there. It’s in the public.”

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And to be clear, Cody Johnson didn’t join in on the roping portion of the rodeo lightheartedly. He wasn’t given a free pass to compete, and it’s not a promotional move either. CoJo is genuinely going to show off his skills, and he’s out to win the competition.

If you ask me, it’s pretty cool that the Saturday night headliner of the Hondo Rodeo Fest will also be included in the actual rodeo competition. Just goes to show that Cody Johnson is as rodeo as it gets in the country music world… which looking back on an old Whiskey Riff Raff podcast interview with him, the whole thing is a little ironic.

CoJo revealed that he is often forced to battle with being “too country” for country radio, and that his producer Trent Wilmon (who’s an incredible artist in his own right) had a simple solution for releasing singles:

“When you get so many people on this side that a guy like me is considered “too country for radio,” man, we’ve got a problem. 

We were discussing what songs off my new record we would consider singles…and my producer Trent Wilmon says ‘If they’re already not gonna play it, why not release what we want?’”

Johnson also added that he was once told that his hit song “Dear Rodeo” with Reba McEntire was “too rodeo” to get radio play:

“I just got told a couple weeks ago that my song ‘Dear Rodeo’ was and I quote, ‘too rodeo for radio.’ Because apparently the word ‘rodeo’ reminds people of cruelty to animals.”

Hey… you want to know why “Dear Rodeo” sounded “too rodeo,” whatever that means? Because Cody Johnson is as genuine and authentic as artists come, and he was drawing off of real-life experiences for that particular track – as he does with many others.

It’s almost comical that now, Cody Johnson gets the last laugh, as he basically proves that he is too rodeo for radio by competing in a rodeo while also headlining it. Good on you, CoJo.

“Dear Rodeo”

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